Scent and Emotions: How Perfume Enhanced My Mood and Confidence

written by Lola Gabriel-Ojo

edited by CHIQIO

key words: scent, emotion, perfume, mood

Perfume has the ability to enrapture senses, awaken memories, and demonstrate individuality which makes it universally celebrated. But it’s power extends past it’s aromatic enchantment and towards emotional influences like it being a mood and confidence booster. This article will highlight perfumes’ transformative capability in my life!

The Connection Between Perfume and Biology

Biology can be used to explain the relationship between perfume and emotion. Furthermore, the link between the olfactory system, which is responsible for our ability to smell, and the limbic system in the brain, which regulates our emotions. Therefore, certain perfumes can activate and enhance emotions. This explains how citrusy perfumes have energised my behaviour and herbal perfumes have evoked calmness within me.

As well as being used as an invisible accessory, I used perfumes for aromatherapy which had positive impacts on my life, including: enhanced work production, increased creativity, concentration and relaxation! Perfumes with lavender are a great example of how I’ve promoted relaxation, reduced stress and anxiety during my busy life as a working university student. In comparison, citrus notes like grapefruit and orange have successfully increased my focus and energy. While, floral perfumes with notes like chamomile and rose have balanced my emotions, alleviated stress, and promoted comfort!

How Perfume Boosted My Confidence?

I have used perfumes to depict my personality and complement my presence. Here’s why they helped boost my confidence:

Personal statement: I used perfumes to highlight my individuality and reflect my style and personality. For example, Calvin Klein ‘IN2U Her’ previously represented my approachable and friendly personality, through its fruity and floral notes.

Positive Linkages: Floral and fresh notes induced positive memories and resulted in joyous feelings, which meant I felt confident in both work and recreational settings. For example, Victoria Secret’s ‘Coconut Passion’ evoked comfort and joy because it reminded me of my childhood, specifically getting my hair done with coconut scented products.

Detailed analysis: Wearing a perfume that reflected my essence indicated my effort and care and enhanced perceptions of me, leading to increased confidence.

How Perfume Improved My Mood?

Choosing a perfume that’s a self-reflection of me enhanced my mood, but different scents have different emotional effects:

Revitalising: I felt uplifted by verbena and mandarin, since these fresh and citrusy notes promoted vitality by encouraging positivity, and increasing energy. They often reminded me of fun activities I experienced during Summer, like rock climbing and paddle boarding!

Calming: I often felt calm when using fresh floral and light woody notes like lavender and sandalwood because these weren’t rich and overpowering, and are often used in aromatherapy to reduce stress and create harmony.

Uplifting: Floral scents, like rose, tended to enhance my mood because they uplifted my spirits. Impulse ‘Self Love: Rose Quartz’ is a great example of this, since its rose, patchouli and sandalwood notes effectively evoked a cheerful mood for me.

Signature Scent

Here are some tips that have helped me harness the full power of perfume:

Test Different Options: Due to natural body oils, perfumes can smell differently when tested on others since there’s a personalised aroma. Thus, first-hand testing results in more accurate judgements.
What’s The Occasion?: During the day, fresh and light perfumes are best suited, while special occasions call for more deep and complex fragrances.
What Are Your Initial Thoughts?: Essentially, prioritising your instincts when wearing a perfume will make you feel confident!

Conclusion

In conclusion, perfume has helped me evoke emotions, enhance moods and confidence, so it’s much more than just an amicable aroma. I have benefited first-hand from the power of perfume by understanding its effects and choosing a suitable fragrance. As a result, I was able to transform my everyday experiences…Remember that perfumes don’t just have aromatic designs but emotional designs too!